Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — On Dec. 19, President Obama signed the FY10 Department of Defense spending bill, which included an additional $20 million for the Maine Military Authority of Limestone — the additional amount required to fully-fund MMA for another year.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Mechanics Ralph Newcomb and Ronnie Dewitt work on a vehicle at the Maine Military Authority.
Due to financial constraints, the spending bill originally reduced MMA funds to $30 million from $50 million. Had the extra $20 million not been allocated, MMA would have seen 175 employees out of 365 laid off, including current MMA Executive Director Tim Corbett.
“We’re all in this together, and I think they understand that,” Corbett said.
The cessation of almost 200 jobs in an area like Aroostook County could have seriously added to the current economic instability of the region, which is something that the Maine delegation — Sens. Collins and Snowe, Congressman Michaud and Congresswoman Pingree — understood fully. Since MMA became aware of the funding decrease in May, the delegation has been proactive with the process of securing additional funding. Local delegation representatives even met with MMA employees and Corbett to share whatever news he had regarding the funding.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Mechanics Paul St. Pierre and Tim Carver refurbish a Humvee at Maine Military Authority.
“When we first found out that we were in a financial situation regarding funding, we immediately engaged our Congress men and women and senators,” Corbett said. Corbett and other MMA staff met with members of the delegation, developing courses of action that had the highest chance of being successful given the economic issues. They developed multiple plans, and Corbett continues working to secure a bright future for MMA.
“A good plan doesn’t guarantee success, but it significantly advances the chances of success, and that’s what happened here,” Corbett said. “We had support from the delegation and we made it happen.”
“I am delighted to have successfully secured an additional $20 million for the Maine Military Authority. This funding is critical to maintaining the important work the MMA does for the Army National Guard,” said Sen. Collins. “More important, this funding helps save 175 jobs for the skilled and dedicated workforce at MMA. In these tough budget times, securing this funding was not easy. But as a native of Aroostook County, I understand the enormous hardships that County residents are facing during this deep recession, and that is why I fought so hard to ensure that this funding was included in the final defense spending bill,” she added.
Sen. Snowe agreed.
“With $20 million dedicated to the re-manufacturing of Army vehicles at the Maine Military Authority, this funding will not only ensure our brave men and women in uniform have access to the resources they need to succeed in their missions, but also retain good-paying jobs in Limestone and the surrounding region during the national economic recession,” she said.
With MMA funding secure for FY10, Corbett continues to focus his efforts on FY11, where full funding for MMA isn’t guaranteed. He will have a better understanding of the situation in the next few weeks, when budgets are submitted.
According to Corbett, it looks as if procurement money for new systems may be down for FY11 and, while he admits to being an optimist, “if you’re not buying new, you have to fix what you’ve got.”
It may be a very difficult budget cycle with relatively few funds available, but MMA staff is planning for the future, where even ‘small’ projects have a $500,000 price tag.
Corbett is currently applying his efforts on multiple $10, $20, and $30 million projects to keep MMA fully staffed and fully functional.
“The folks we have who work at MMA have a great work ethic,” Corbett said. “We out-produce the competition and we always have competitive pricing.”
While the company may offer the best value 95 percent of the time (they can refurbish vehicles for one-fourth to one-third the cost of purchasing a new one), the small tried-and-true business is competing against major multi-billion dollar companies for contracts in a true David and Goliath fashion.
“We’ve really come a long way,” Corbett said, “but we still have a long way to go.”
